How to Find Out if Someone is a Felon for Free
Type in the name of the person whose criminal record you want to find and do a news search., Use more than 1 search engine., Try to determine all the places the individual has lived., Determine when the individual was born.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Type in the name of the person whose criminal record you want to find and do a news search.
Although a Google search is not going to lead you to the official record, it can find newspaper articles about felony convictions.
Sometimes, a Google search is all you need to establish that someone is a felon.
Try the search with the name in quotation marks – i.e. “John Doe” to narrow your search.
If possible, include the person's full name to target the search.
A first, middle and last name in quotation marks will help you to know you are finding information on the right person. -
Step 2: Use more than 1 search engine.
Different engines have different processes for bringing up results.
You may have better luck on Yahoo, Bing or Wolfram Alpha. , Most court records are held at the state or local level, so it is best if you can find out all the places where the individual you are investigating lived.
Try searching on Google to see if you can find previous residences.
Do both a standard Google search and a Google news search.
Look on Facebook for past residences as well.
Use the person’s phone number.
People keep old phone numbers more and more frequently now, so if you have the number of the person you are investigating, you might be able to use the area code to discover one place he or she lived.
Try a paid background search site.
Many of these sites, like instantcheckmate.com, will return preliminary results for free, and these results usually include all known addresses for the person in question. , A date of birth will help to assure that you are looking up information on the right person.
If you don’t know the specific day, at least estimate the year.
This will help you to eliminate false-hits during your investigation.
Start with this free site to help you look up birthdays by name and place of residence.
If that fails, Google and Facebook are often helpful when searching for date of birth. -
Step 3: Try to determine all the places the individual has lived.
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Step 4: Determine when the individual was born.
Detailed Guide
Although a Google search is not going to lead you to the official record, it can find newspaper articles about felony convictions.
Sometimes, a Google search is all you need to establish that someone is a felon.
Try the search with the name in quotation marks – i.e. “John Doe” to narrow your search.
If possible, include the person's full name to target the search.
A first, middle and last name in quotation marks will help you to know you are finding information on the right person.
Different engines have different processes for bringing up results.
You may have better luck on Yahoo, Bing or Wolfram Alpha. , Most court records are held at the state or local level, so it is best if you can find out all the places where the individual you are investigating lived.
Try searching on Google to see if you can find previous residences.
Do both a standard Google search and a Google news search.
Look on Facebook for past residences as well.
Use the person’s phone number.
People keep old phone numbers more and more frequently now, so if you have the number of the person you are investigating, you might be able to use the area code to discover one place he or she lived.
Try a paid background search site.
Many of these sites, like instantcheckmate.com, will return preliminary results for free, and these results usually include all known addresses for the person in question. , A date of birth will help to assure that you are looking up information on the right person.
If you don’t know the specific day, at least estimate the year.
This will help you to eliminate false-hits during your investigation.
Start with this free site to help you look up birthdays by name and place of residence.
If that fails, Google and Facebook are often helpful when searching for date of birth.
About the Author
Stephen Butler
A seasoned expert in arts and creative design, Stephen Butler combines 5 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Stephen's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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